Impulsive Decisions
by PrairieLily
Summary: Timothy McGee makes an impulsive lunchtime decision. Two chapters, one posted January 23, and the second posted January 24. Most definitely, most assuredly, most decidedly... McABBY! 2 of 2 posted I have no patience, sorry!, COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

**Title**: Impulsive Decisions

**Rating**: K

**Disclaimer**: None of my own characters are featured in this one. No infringement intended.

**Summary**: Timothy McGee makes an impulsive lunch-time decision. Two chapters, one posted January 23, and the second posted January 24.

**Pairing:** Oh, this is McAbby… most decidedly, most assuredly, most absolutely, McABBY. ;)

**Author's Note**: Written at the request of a reviewer who read and commented on "Collaborative Efforts," and requested something I already had bouncing in my head anyway. Thanks Grace, for the suggestion, and the motivation to finally write it down. Also, I apologize for the stupid title, but I just couldn't think of anything good! This story also elaborates upon an idea introduced in "Next Year," in which McGee visits Kate's grave on his and Abby's wedding day - a year to the day after Kate's funeral - to talk to her and tell her how the last year has gone.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

"Something wrong, McGee?" Tony asked, glancing over at his colleague from across their little corner of the squad room.

McGee seemed to start, then looked up, and over at Tony. "Uh, no… no, everything's great," he said, smiling warmly.

But that wasn't entirely true… because, the truth was, he was scared to death.

He'd had to draw his gun the day before, and shoot a suspect who was trying to put Ziva out of commission. But, that wasn't it.

He'd faced the Director over the incident, giving his full report, and then faced Gibbs after that for another debriefing, and to reassure his Boss that he was fine with how things had gone down, all the while Gibbs trying to reassure him that he'd done nothing wrong, trying to keep him from doubting himself again. But, that wasn't it, either.

The simple fact of the matter was, being shot at again had made him wake up, and decide once and for all to use that ring he'd bought, several months before.

Tim McGee loved Abby; there was no doubt about that. Loving Abby was the easy part, and he'd done it for so many years, that it was just second-nature to him now. And several things had happened over the past months, to make them both realize how much time they'd wasted.

But what he was trying to build up the nerve to do next… was the hardest thing he'd ever had to do in his life. And, he was scared spitless over the prospect.

He typed a few more words on to the report form on his screen, then clicked the mouse to save his work, and send it to the printer. As he waited for the machine to process his commands, he smiled slightly to himself – something that was not lost on his observant colleague – and reached into his desk, with a thoughtful look passing over his olive green eyes.

Tony watched silently and inconspicuously as McGee pulled out a small, velvet covered blue box, then smiled to himself behind his monitor, as he watched the younger man open the small box, and take out what was inside.

The ring was smallish - not miniscule, but not the Hope Diamond, either. It seemed a perfect size for its intended wearer, and the style of the setting was perfect too – inset, flush with the gold band that surrounded it. Nothing sharp or protruding to catch in sterile latex gloves and interfere with forensic lab work.

The two men both looked up as Jethro Gibbs breezed in. "Ziva picked up lunch, it's in the break room if you're interested. Snooze, ya lose," he said, grinning. He dropped a folder on his desk and grabbed his cell phone, then took off to where the food was.

"Well, Probie, shall we?" Tony said, getting up from his chair.

McGee nodded, and snapped the small box shut, dropping it into his jacket pocket. "We shall," he said, as he arose as well, and followed Tony out of the squad room.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Hey, Timmy," Abby greeted him warmly, as he and Tony strolled in to the break room. "I saved you a seat," she said, patting the chair beside her. They all looked up as Jimmy, and then Ducky, entered the room as well, soon followed by Ziva.

The group raided the food, set out quickly in a makeshift buffet style in the middle of the big table, then settled down for lunch.

McGee sat quietly, smiling at Abby now and then, as the group engaged in small talk. Finally, he said, "Boss, what's your opinion on marriage?"

Abby giggled. "That was random, McGee," she commented lightly, with a wink. McGee glanced at her briefly, then said "I'm serious, Abs," turning back to Gibbs.

Gibbs took a moment to chew and swallow, then shrugged, with both his shoulders, and his eyebrows. "Been there, done that. I guess it's okay for some people. Just make sure you're married to your spouse, and not your career. I made that mistake more times than I can count."

"What about you, Tony?" McGee asked. Tony stopped mid-chew, and looked up, surprised. "I dunno, McGee," he said, then paused to swallow. "I'd avoid it, myself. Well, I mean, I would have _before_. Maybe with Faith… who knows. Never say never, I guess."

"Ah, 'Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments,' Ducky said thoughtfully. "Shakespeare, right Doctor?" Jimmy asked, green eyes shining with curiosity, and a slight 'surprised-himself-that-he-knew-that' expression. "Why, yes, Mr. Palmer. Indeed. One of the sonnets, in fact."

"So then, what's your opinion, Ducky?" McGee was on a roll, and seemed truly interested in what his friends and colleagues thought.

"Never pass up the opportunity for something that can be so wonderful as to share your life with someone. I, too, passed up the opportunity at true love, for my career. I suppose, being so young, with such a great number of years still ahead of me, I thought at the time that I had all the time in the world for such things as love and marriage. Of course, I didn't. And now, I suppose it's too late. Ah-well. Such is life, Timothy." McGee smiled at this. "So, you have regrets then, Ducky? That you didn't marry when you could have?"

"Oh, I suppose I do. Sometimes I do wonder what it would have been like to have married, and have had children. Of course, working with the lot of you, it's like I do have children, after all." The older man's blue eyes sparkled as he grinned and chuckled softly.

"What about you, Palmer? What do you think?"

Jimmy glanced up, surprised. "I… uh…" he hesitated, seemingly surprised to be asked his opinion on the weather, let alone something like this.

"Well, I think I'm too young to have an opinion." McGee scowled at him, with an Eyebrow and a glare. "We're the same age, Jimmy. You're not too young, trust me." Jimmy cleared his throat. "Well, admittedly, maybe I'm not too young… but personally, I mean, speaking strictly for myself, I've got a lot of work ahead of me to get my career on track. I really don't have time to think about something that seems so far into the future."

"Oh, but don't do like Ducky did, Jimmy," Ziva said, suddenly. "You don't want to have regrets over what might have been." Jimmy shrugged. "I suppose not. But there's no point in putting the cart before the horse, either. In a few years, once I've got time to have a social life, we'll ask my opinion again, shall we?"

"What do you think, Ziva?" McGee asked, turning to their Mossad liaison officer. Ziva smiled bashfully. "In Mossad, you make a choice. There usually isn't room for that, and marriage, both. But, I'm not in Israel anymore. It would be nice, I suppose. If the right man came along, I'd be open to the idea. Like Tony says… never say never." She smiled warmly at the group, then took another bite of her lunch.

"Abs, what about you?" McGee turned to her. This was getting a little too close for comfort, but if you wanted an omelette, you had to break a few eggs, and maybe get a little on yourself while you were cooking.

Abby stopped what she was doing, and put down her fork. "I guess I never thought about it, Timmy," she said, thoughtfully, after a moment's pondering. "I know that when I think about my future, I only see one person in my life, in that way." She reached over and touched his face softly, then turned back to her meal.

McGee took a deep breath. Tony's eyes grew wide and began to shine, as he saw McGee pause a moment, seemingly making a decision, then reach into his pocket and pull out the small blue box. "Go, McGee," he thought to himself, silently cheering his friend on.

"Well," McGee said, blinking several times and all but passing out before getting the words out of his mouth. "Abby, when I think about my future, I only see one person, too. So… how about we think about it, together?"

The room grew silent as theteam at the table stopped dead, mid-chew, and forks in mid-air. Jimmy glanced at Abby, then at Ducky, and the two morgue personnel grinned. Gibbs' blue eyes began to sparkle, as Ziva's eyes began to mist over.

McGee stood up suddenly, pushing his chair away with the backs of his legs, and got down on one knee. He swallowed hard, and Abby stared at him, in total, utter disbelief.

"Abby, you know how much I love you. I've loved you… well, pretty much since I transferred here from Norfolk." Abby's jaw dropped, and her eyes grew wider than McGee ever thought possible, even for Abby – and she'd mastered the big wide, green eyed look. She stared at his hands, as they popped open the small box and pulled out the ring. "Will you marry me?"

"Uh…" she stammered. "Umm…" Immediately, McGee took on the stricken, guilty look of a little boy, caught doing something he shouldn't have been doing. He swallowed hard, then stood up. "Oh, I'm sorry, Abby… I didn't mean to… I mean… I put you on the spot… just, uh… forg-"

Abby's eyes never left him as he stood up. She smiled up at him as she seemed to find her voice, and her bearings, as well. "Shut up, McGee," she said, as she stood up herself, pushing her own chair away. "Are you gonna let me get a word in edgewise so I can say yes, or what?"

Tony chuckled softly, watching the expression on McGee's face morph from utter mortification, to the purest joy and surprised delight.

Gibbs smiled, thinking that he really needed to be more clear about Rule 12. This display was in serious breech of that particular law... Ah, hell... they looked so happy... who the hell really cared about that stupid rule, anyway?

Ziva grabbed for a napkin, dabbing her eyes, and blowing her nose with a shockingly resounding honk.

Jimmy grinned. Abby was more like a sister to him, anyway. Sure, he loved her too – but not anything like McGee did. Life had been a hell of a lot simpler at work once he'd gotten his head around that concept.

Ducky smiled as well, thinking that perhaps it would have been more proper if Timothy had asked his blessing first… but no, Abigail wasn't _really_ his daughter – it only felt like she was.

Abby held out her hand and watched as he slipped the ring on to her finger – a perfect fit. She wondered how he'd done that, then she remembered an oddly placed ink mark on one of his fingers, several months prior. She hadn't given it any thought back then, but now realized, he'd been measuring one of her rings, for size. So, this wasn't entirely spontaneous. She just wasn't sure that he'd planned to ask her now, like this.

She threw her arms around his neck and squeezed him hard, completely oblivious to the others around them. "Ungh… Abby… honey… can't… breathe…" he gasped, shocked at her strength.

Well, loving Abby was easy, but surrounded by friends and colleagues, he admitted to himself, with more than a little relief, that proposal part hadn't been so hard, after all.


End file.
